Eighty Percent Silencer/Suppressor Kit

ABSTRACT

An eighty percent silencer/suppressor kit that can be completed with further machining. Eighty percent refers to the degree of completion of the parts that make up the kit. Some embodiments of the invention include only some of the parts needed. Other embodiments include all of the parts, but with some or all of the parts in an 80% completed state. The parts can include a central tube, end caps and baffles. The baffles and end caps are mounted in the central tube which and will be attached a gun muzzle if completed. Many of the parts are supplied with no central holes and require further machining.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to firearm accessories and more particularly to an eighty percent silencer/suppressor kit.

Description of the Prior Art

A silencer or suppressor is a device designed to attach to the muzzle of a firearm to quiet it. In the United States, sales of silencers and sales of all firearms are regulated by the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (called the ATF). In order to manufacture a silencer or certain types of firearms, an individual is required to have approval from the ATF generally obtained by filing an ATF Form 1. The ATF places a tax stamp on the competed Form 1. It is well-known in the industry, completely legal, and approved by the ATF, to sell eighty percent complete firearm parts that cannot be used in a weapon without further, specialized machining. Persons wishing to finish the part, must obtain approval and file a Form 1 with the ATF. At present, eighty percent parts only relate to gun parts. It would be advantageous to have an eighty percent silencer/suppressor kit that cannot be used on a firearm as sold, but that could be completed by an individual after obtaining permission from the ATF. Sale of such a kit is approved by the ATF and is completely legal. Also, the kit, even when further machined into a functioning silencer/suppressor, is completely legal provided approval is obtained from the ATF. Thus, the kit is entirely legal to sell, and legal to use for its final purpose once permission is obtained.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an eighty percent silencer/suppressor kit that can be completed with further machining. Eighty percent refers to the degree of completion of the parts that make up the kit in that it is no more than 80% complete (some kits may be much less than 80% complete). Some embodiments of the invention include only some of the parts needed. Other embodiments include all of the parts, but with some or all of the parts in an uncompleted state. The parts can include a central tube as well as end caps and baffles. The baffles and end caps are mounted in the central tube which can be attached a gun muzzle if completed. Many of the parts are supplied with no central holes and require further machining.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Attention is now directed to several figures that illustrate features of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows the parts of an exemplary kit laid out side-by-side.

FIG. 2 shows kit endcaps and baffles facing outward.

Several illustrations or drawings have been presented to aid in understanding the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to what is shown in the figures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a silencer/suppressor kit that is supplied in eighty percent or less complete condition, and hence is totally legal to sell in the United States.

In general, a silencer or suppressor includes a central tube that ultimately attaches to the barrel of a firearm, along with a pair of endcaps and a series of baffles. Baffles are of two types: sound baffles and blast baffles. Sound baffles may be circular with a cone-shaped protrusion, or may simply be circular, or other shape. A completed baffle has a machined hole within a high tolerance of dead center for the bullet to pass through. In many silencers, the first baffle (in the direction of bullet travel) is cylindrical and longer than the other baffles and called a blast baffle. It also has a central hole. There may be more than one blast baffle. Each end of the central tube is closed with an endcap. The endcaps enclose the sound baffles and the blast baffle(s) and hold them in place. The endcaps also have a central machined hole in a finished silencer. One of the endcaps usually attaches to the muzzle of the firearm.

The eighty percent kit of the present invention can contain all or a portion of these parts. FIG. 1 shows the central tube 1 with the endcaps and baffles 2 in the installed configuration. Starting at the end of the central tube furthest from the shooter, FIG. 1 shows an endcap, four internal sound baffles, a blast baffle, and a second endcap.

FIG. 2 shows a possible embodiment of the endcaps and baffles of the present invention. In this particular example, the first endcap 3, called a DT cap, contains a central hole that fits over a part of the muzzle. The DT cap usually attaches the silencer to the firearm. The blast baffle(s) 5 and sound baffles 4 also contain no central hole as supplied in the kit. The center location may, or may not, be marked. There may be more than one blast baffle. The second endcap 6, called the exit endcap, is shown in this embodiment without the central hole machined. This is optional; in other embodiments, the central hole in the exit endcap 6 may also be present. It should be remembered that there may be any number of any type of sound baffles and more than one blast baffle. The baffles may or may not be machined with a central hole; also the endcaps may or may not be machined with a central hole. The manner that the central tube or endcaps of the present invention attached to the firearm may change. There may be direct threads, single lug or multiple lugs, or any other attachment method. The endcaps may be attached to the central tube with threads, welding or by any other attachment method. There must be enough un-machined parts or missing parts so that the kit meets the ATF definition of not more than eighty percent complete, or be an eighty percent kit.

The Silencer 80 or 80% silencer of the present invention can be sold as either a kit or individual separate parts, and can be sold legally to an end user to “Finish” (Machine into a usable product). In the condition it is sold in, it is unusable, The sound baffles, blast baffle(s), and at least one endcap, are not drilled through so a bullet cannot pass through the parts as sold. As previously stated, the end user must submit an ATF Form 1 (Application to Manufacture a firearm/Silencer) and have it approved and receive a tax stamp prior to finishing the silencer for the final device to be legal. Information on this subject can be found on the ATF website The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is comprised of multiple sound baffles, a blast baffle, a threaded endcap for attachment to a firearm, and a solid exit endcap, all of which fit inside the central tube.

The following is an example of the contents of a particular kit embodiment:

-   Sound baffles—The sound baffles, which are removable, can be made of     multiple shapes and sizes and quantities, but must be machined prior     to the device being used. -   Blast baffle—The blast baffle is the first stage of sound baffle     that is nearest the muzzle of the gun when attached to the firearm.     Once machined the bullet will pass through the blast baffle prior     passing through the sound baffles. -   2nd Endcap—is the last component the bullet passes through before     the bullet leaves the firearm/silencer combination. This endcap must     also be machined prior to use. This attaches to the central tube via     custom threading done on both the tube and the endcap—typically with     female threading on the tube; male threading on the endcap. It can     also be welded to the central tube. -   Threaded Cap(Mount) or 1st endcap—This is the cap that attaches to     the firearm—typically with male threads that screw into the central     tube on the firearm side of the Silencer. It is within the scope of     the present invention to have multiple types of mounts with     different end attachments to the firearm, but with a male threaded     side that screws into the central tube. -   Central Tube—The central tube may be made of any metal or gun     material, be any diameter and have any length, it can be threaded     female on both ends so that the 2nd endcap and threaded endcap can     be screwed in.

An alternative embodiment is device with a single baffle that itself has multiple stages. This mono-core design can be supplied in an 80% kit by not completing the central passage.

Once the silencer is completed, the manufacturer's information that the end user provides on the ATF form 1 must be engraved on the outside of the central tube. The end user is the MANUFACTURER of the silencer and his/her information must be engraved for identification for the final device to be legal.

Several descriptions and illustrations have been presented to aid in understanding the present invention. One with skill in the art will realize that numerous changes and variations may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. All such changes and variations are within the scope of the present invention. 

1. An eighty percent silencer kit for a firearm comprising; a central tube constructed to fit onto a firearm muzzle; a plurality of baffles constructed to fit into the central tube, at least some of the baffles having no central hole; two endcaps constructed to close the two ends of the central tube.
 2. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 1 wherein at least one of the endcaps has no central hole.
 3. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 1 wherein the plurality of baffles include at least one blast baffle, said at least one blast baffle having no central hole.
 4. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 1 wherein the two endcaps comprise a first endcap with a central hole constructed to allow a firearm muzzle to fit into the central tube, and an exit endcap, wherein the exit endcap has no central hole.
 5. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 4 wherein the first endcap is constructed to mount onto the firearm muzzle.
 6. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 5 wherein the first endcap is mounted to the firearm muzzle with threads, a single lug, or multiple lugs.
 7. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 4 wherein the first endcap is threaded and screws into the central tube.
 8. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 4 wherein the exit endcap is threaded and screws into the central tube.
 9. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 2 wherein the at least one endcap having no central hole has a center point marked for later machining of a central hole.
 10. An eighty percent silencer kit for a firearm comprising; a central tube constructed to attach to a firearm muzzle; a first endcap constructed to be thread-mounted to the central tube, the first endcap having a central hole constructed to receive the firearm muzzle, the first endcap also constructed to mount to the firearm muzzle; at least one blast baffle constructed to be mounted in the central tube adjacent to the first endcap; a plurality of sound baffles constructed to be mounted in the central tube adjacent to the at least one blast baffle, at least some of the sound baffles having no central hole; an exit endcap constructed to be thread-mounted on the distal end of the central tube, the exit endcap having no central hole.
 11. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 10 wherein the first endcap is mounted to the firearm muzzle with thread, a single lug, or multiple lugs.
 12. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 10 wherein the first endcap is attached to the central tube with threads.
 13. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 10 wherein the exit endcap is attached to the central tube with threads.
 14. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 10 wherein the sound baffles have a partial cone-shaped protrusion along a central axis.
 15. A method of providing an eighty percent silencer kit for a firearm comprising; providing a central tube constructed to attach to a firearm muzzle; providing a plurality of baffles constructed to fit into the central tube, at least some of the baffles having no central hole; providing two endcaps constructed to close the two ends of the central tube.
 16. The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of baffles include at least one blast baffle, said at least one blast baffle having no central hole.
 17. The method of claim 15 wherein the two endcaps comprise a first endcap with a central hole constructed to allow a firearm muzzle to fit into the central tube, and an exit endcap, wherein the exit endcap has no central hole.
 18. The method of claim 17 wherein the first endcap is constructed to mount onto the firearm muzzle.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first endcap is mounted to the firearm muzzle with threads, a single lug, or multiple lugs.
 20. The eighty percent silencer kit of claim 1 wherein the kit is supplied incomplete with at least one of the baffles not supplied or with at least one of the endcaps not supplied.
 21. (canceled) 